Railway brake apparatus



Aug. 9, 1924. ,505,540

A. BULBICK RAI LWAY BRAKE APPARATUS Filed March El, 1922 ALBERT BULBIcK,y or EASTLEIGH, ENGLAND. Y l

I RAILWAY BRAKE APPARATUS.

Application led March 31, 1922. Serial No. 548,"34`8- To @ZZ whom it frita-y conce/m.

YBe it known that l, ALBERT. Bniieicia, subject oit the King ot Great Britain and ireland, residing at Eastleigh, Hampshire, England (whose pest-oiiiee address is 76 The Crescent, Eastleigh, Hampshire,.Eng-` land), have invente-d certain new andA usetui improvements in Railway Brake rrp-y paratns; and l do yherehy declare the tollowing to he a full, clear, and exa'ctpdescrlption ctt the invention, sach as'will enable others skilled in thel art to which it appertains to make 'and use the same.

As is lnwwn it .is desirable, in order to provide ior the .most effective and vecon'tn'nical braking of the vehicles of railway trains and the lilie, to provide means whereby vthe f hraltes shall be applied to the wheels of the vehicles with a torce or pressure proportionate or approximately proportionate to the weight et the vehicle or of the vehicle and its load so that the ratio of brake power to the weight of a vehicle and its lead is the saine or approximately the same for empty, partly loaded and fully loaded vehicles for all applications oit the brakes, i. e. whether only slight, or a mode-rate, or

a l'ull application of the lorales is to he made. lin this way hustlingv` of empty or relatively light vehicles hy loaded'or heavier vehicles in a train is avoided; and the sltidding and consequent iiattingpof the wheels et' vehicles is also avoided. lilith existing brake systems in which air (conn pressed air in the case of compressed air brake apparatus and atmospheric air in the case ci vacuum hrale apparatus) is admitted to the hrale cylinders on. the vehicles igor applying the brake the same power or i pressure is brought into play in the brake' cylinders ci? both light and heavy vehicles in A: train, with the result that hnstling oit tlnx vehicles and tlatting of the wheels takes place as well as waste oit hralie power ow ing to the amount of power employed 'for' applying the hralies to empty er partly loaded vehicles being the sanieas that employed ior applying the brakes to the heavier or t'ullv loaded vehicles.

The present invention has for its object to provide andv consists principally in a valve device whereby the amount of air pressure- (compressed air in the case of conipres'seil air hrake apparatusand atmos` pheric air in the case ot vacuum 'brake apthe vehicles ci awtrain is in the case ofeach' vehicle regulated er 'determined loy orv according toy the 'weight 'of `the respective vehicleor of the vehicle'andfits load upon the hearing springs, so that the force or pres# snie with" which the brakes are applied to the wheelsct the respectivevehicles shall he proportionate or kapproXiniately proporl tionate to the 'weight ot'the vehicle whether empty, partially leaded critully loaded;

The'invention further consists in a valve devicethroughwhich air is admitted to the brake Acylinder or cylinders on a vehicle, and means cpelntivelyv combinedy with or connected to the said valve whereby the action ci" rthe valve is controlled, varied or determinedihy the weight ot the vehicle or ot the Avehicle and itsload upon the yloearing springs-so thaty the amount ot' air pressure admitted to the brake cylinder and consequently the torce or power with which the hrakesf are appliedy is proportionate or approximately' proportionate `to the weight ofthe vehicle er of the vehicle and its load'.l

Further according: to the invention the valve ofthe above-mentioned valve device is actuated through the medium of a piston er diaphragm arrangement `adaptedy 13o-loe actuated both 1oy/the pressure ot air admitted to the valve device andfloy the air pressure obtain-ing vin the brake cylinder respectively for opening andclosing they valve the action ot the said piston or diaphragm arrangement and consequently the action of the "valve being controlled, regulated or varied through the medium of ra lever and means adjustable so as to vary the leverage ot the saidlevernceording to then/'eight ot the vehicle or ot the-vehicle and` its load upon the hearing springs. H Y

Further accordingtothis invention the ahove mentioned valve dev-ice comprisesiny y combination' 'a casing having an inlet adapted to he connected to the air pipe leading itrcmthe triple valve (in the case of compressed air brake apparatus) or from the train pipe in the caseof vacnnnr brake apparatus) to the brake cylinder, an outlet adapted to he rconnected with' the piston chamber in the brake cylinder, a valve arranged so as to control communication between the said inletto and outlet from the, casing, a piston or pistons cr al diaphragmy or diaphragms within said casing,` a levermounted ony al' fixed tnlcrnn'r carried the casing and adapted to be actuated by the movement of the said piston or pistons (or diaphragm or diaphragms) due to the pressure of the air acting upon the pressurearea or areas of said piston or pistons, and means within the casing adaptedA to be actuated so as to vary the leverage ot the said lever for the purpose of controlling or regulating the action of the valve for admitting air to and shutting ofi the admission of air from the brake cylinder, i the construction and arrangements being such that whatever the amount of air pressure admitted to the said casing the amount of air pressure. admitted to the brake cylinder by the action of the said valve is regulated or determined by the load on the bearing springs so that the force or power with which the brakes are applied will be proportionate or approximately proportionate to the weight of the vehicle or'of the vehicle and its load.

Further according` to this invention in the preferred embodiment thereof the above mentioned means for varying the leverage fle so as to control or regulate the action of the valve accordingto thev load on the bear` ing springs is automatically actuated or set so as to alterthe leverage, by increase and decrease in the weight of the load upon the bearing springs. In this embodiment of the invention the means for varying the leverage is ypreferably actuated or set through the medium of a suitable shock absorbing meansl adapted to prevent shocks and vibrations, due for instance to unevenness oi' the road,v being transmitted to the said means for varying the leverage but permitting the steady or sustained movements due to loading or unloading of the vehicleto betransmitted to the said means.

The invention further consists in the valve devices and parts associated therewith constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, forr the purposes set forth.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way or' example alternative embodiments of the invention, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a brake pressure regulating valve designed for use with air brake apparatus, and Fig. 2 is similar view to Fig. 1 .of a valve device designed for use with vacuum brake apparatus. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing, in side` elevation the solebar or underframe of a railway vehicle fitted rwith compressed air brake apparatus, and shows the arrangement of the lever and rod connections to the pressure regulating valve device of Fig. 1 whereby `the action of the valve is Acontrolled by the load upon the bearing springs. Fig. i is a similar view to Fig. 3 but shows diagrammatically an application of the invention to a vehicle fitted with vacuum brake apparatus.

Like reierence numbers indicate corresponding parts in the various figures of the drawings.

Referring t Fig. 1, 1 is a casing, which may be a casting, comprising the tubular` air inlet 2 adapted to be connected, for instanceby a suitable pipe connection 3 (Fig. 3) to the brakecylinder air supply port of the triple vaive l which may be of the usual kind employed in the well known Westinghouse Air Brake system; k5 is the tubular outlet from the casing 1 said outlet being adapted to be connected, or instance by a suitable pipe connection 6 (Fig. 3) to the air inlet port of the brake cylinder 7, 3 (Fig. 3) being the usual auxiliary reservoir for thesupply of compressed air to the brake cylinder Z via the triple valve il. 9 (Fig. 1) is a valve, in the example shown a circular plate or disc valve, which, as shown controls communication between the air inlet 2 in the casing 1 and the air outlet 5 leading from the casing to the brake cylinder the seat for the valve being provided in the casing on the part 10 thereof. The valve 9, as shown, is provided with rods or stems 11 and 12 the lower end of the rod 11 beingA guided in a suitable recess in the cap 13 screwed into an aperture in the bottom of the casingl, and the rod 12 being guided at its upper end inthe part 14 of the casing which part, as shown, is hollow and forms a chamber 15 from which a suitable number of ports 16 lead into the space 17 and communicate via the outlet 5 with the brake cylinder. 18 and 19 are piston chambers formed in the casing 1, 2O and 21 being pistons adapted to be reciprocated respectively in the chambers 18 and, 19; the piston rods 20a, 21a respectively of the pistons-2O and 21, in the example shown, are guided at their upper ends in recesses, respectively 22, 23, in 1 the cover 24 of the valve casing 1. is an enlargement or cross head formed on the piston rod 2Oa the said enlargement or cross head being slotted through to receive the right-hand arm of the lever 26 which is fulcrummed `on the fixed pivot or ulcrum pin`27, the left-hand arm of the said lever 26, Vas shown, extending intoV a slotted part or enlargement 28 provided on the rod 21a of piston 21. The enlargement or slotted cross head 25 of' the piston rod 2Oa is suitably formed to provide a guide'or runway 25a for a suitable roller or movable bearing 29 interposed between and rbearing against the runway 25a and the lower side or edge of the right-hand arm of the lever 26, the said roller or movablebearing 29 beingpivotally connected by a suitable pair of links 30k to the arm or lever 31 iXed on the shaft 32 carried in suitable bearings in or ,mounted on the casting constituting the valve casing 1, one end of the said shaft 32 extending through a suitable packing gland to the exterior of the casing. The end of the shaft 32 vwhich projects outside the casing l is operatively connected in any suitable manner to the means provided for transmitting the movements of the vehicle body dueto loading and unloading to the roller or movable bearing" 29 through the arm 3l and links 30 for the purpose of altering the leverage of lever 26 and consequently controlling or regu-- lating the action of the valve vaccording, to the load upon the bearing springs of the vehicle. As shown in Fig. l an arm 35 is fixed at one end to the projecting end of the shaft 32 and the other end of this arm may be connected by the rod 34 (Fig. 3) to one end of the lever 35 having a fixed fulcrum at 36, for example as shown on a bearing or bracket secured yto the spring buckle 37 the other end of the lever 35 being fulorumed at 38 to a bearing or bracket 39 secured to the solebar 40` of the vehicle. The lever 35. or its euuivalent as shown more or less diagrammatically in Fig. 3, is preferably a two-part lever the parts of which are `resiliently. connected together by means of a coiled spring indi'- cated at 41 with a bolt or rod 41a extending through the spring and through holes in the two parts of the lever they lower end of the spring bearing on top of one of the parts of the lever and the upper end of the spring bearing against a washer or cross-headv suitably secured, for instance by a nut, on the bolt at or adjacent the upper end thereof the head on the lower end of the bolt bearing against the lower side of the other ypart of the lever. As shown one end of each part of the lever 35 is ,bent` towards the other part so as to constitute fulcrums, the arrangement being such that the two parts of the lever can have a rocking or opening and closing movement 'relatively to each other. It is to be noted that in Fig. 3 (for convenience in illustration) the casing l of the'valve device is shown in the reverse position tothat shown in Fig. l.

The pistons 2O and 21, as shown, are provided with packing rings for preventingl leakage of air past the pistons.y

As shown in Fig. l theiXed fulcrum 2? of the lever 26 is mounted in a 'bearing orl bracket 27 having a stem which extends through a hole in the 'cover v24KV and isse cured thereto by means of a nut. A`.'26a75is a flat spring securedat one end toy the top of the 1ever 2S the other end of said spring nearing' against the upper end of the slotted enlargement or cross-head of the piston red or` stem 20a, the spring 2GEL thus'serving to maintain the right hand 'arnrof the lever 2G in steady operative contact "with lthe roller or movable carriage 29 and the "left h'andarm of said lever in steady y"operative contact with `lower-end or face of the slotted part or head 28 ofthe piston rod 21a.

Referring to Fig. 2y which shows an emn bodiment of apressure regulating valve device 'according to lthis invention designed for use with vacuum brake apparatus, in this case instead of the pistons 2O and 2l of the valve device shown in Fig. l, being provided with packing rings, diaphragms 42 and'48 areen'iploye'd, these diaphragms being held at their edges between upper and lower parts of the valve casing marked respectively l and l, guide rodsor stems 44,

45 being provided on the said pistons these' ing in whichthe valve 9 is located and from the brake cyliinder, air will also'be exhausted fromy the space in the casing l above the pistons 20, 2l'so that the'vacuum or pai tial vacuumfcreated in the train pipe and brake cylinders will also be created in the spacey above the pistons 20, 21. Otherwise the construction and arrangement of tue valve device sho-wn in Fig. 2 and the method of connecting it to the means provided for transmitting movements of the vehicle body or underfraine due to loading and unloading are yor may be yidentically thesame as described with reference'to the valve del` vice shown inA Fig. l.

nFig. 4 which shows diagrammatically an application of the valve device (shewn inFig( 2) to a vehicle fitted with vacuum brake apparatus, 47 is `the usual train pipe, 48 'the brake cylinder, 49 the pipe conneetion from the train pipe 47 to theA inlet 2 of the valvecasing, 50'the pipe connection from the outlet 5 of the valvey casing to the usual cylinder valve 5l through which air is admittedto and eXhausted from the ybrake cylinder 48 in the usual manner. rrllhe method .of 'connecting the actuating spindle or shaft32 :ofthe adjustable roller orbearing29 (Fig. 2) to the lever 35 (Fig. 4),

'by which the movements of they vehicle body or underframe relative `to the springs, due to loading rand unloading of the vehicle, are transmitted to the said niovable'carm riage for altering the leverage between the diaphragins 42 and 43, is or may be the. same m Fig. 4 as already described with li'ill on the upper portion i ci' the casing, and that these two ianges would be secured together for instance by means olf studs or bolts and nuts.l

ln the case oi bugie vehicles the valve de* vices shewn in l s. l and 2 should be litted neaY the bolsters, while in the case of ourwheeled vehicles they should be preferably fitted near the bearing springs, the Valve casings being suitably securec in any convenient manner to suitable parts of or lined to the vehicle undeiiirame. ln fitting the valve device to a vehicle the parts operatively connected with the movable or slidbearing (Figs. l and 2), for trans- "ng movements thereto, must be arso that the said moveable or slidis in position nearest to the fixed J oi the lever 26 ywhen the vehicle is empty, so that as the vehicle is being loaded up the-said moveable or sliding carriage or bearing 29 will be moved further Afrom the liulcrum 27, thus altering the rat-io of leverage between the pistons 20 and V21 (Fig. i) or diaphragme 42, 48 (Fig. 2), the arrangement being such that the moveable or sliding bearing 26 will be in its farthest position from the tulcrum 27 when the vehicle is fully loaded.

The spring il, F ig. 2, tending to hold the valve 9 in the closed position, while suiiiciently ,strong for that purpose is not strong enough to prevent the air pressure in the bralre cylinder moving the valve oil its seat, i. e., to the open position, so as to permit the airA in the brake cylinder to escape past the valve 9 when the brakes are being released in the usual way, the air thus eX- hausted from the brake cylinder passing out through the connection 2 of the valve casing and thence to atmosphere through the usual exhaust ports of the triple valve. Similarly the corresponding spring 52 in Fig. 2 is such as to permit air to escape from the bral-re cylinder when the brakes are being released or setf in the usual manner by exhausting air from the train pipe and brake cylinder. i

rlhe working is briefly as follows Referring to Figs. lvand 3, in applying the brakes compressed air from the auxiliary reservoir 6 on the vehicle passes as' usual through the cylinder supply port of the triple valve and thence through the pipe 3 F ig. 3) and inlet connection 2 of the regulating valve device into the chamber or space therein in which the valve 9 is located; the compressed air thus admitted to the valve device acts upon the piston 2O forcring yit upward and thus, through the moveable roller or bearing 39, lever 26, piston rod 2l and piston 2l moves the valve 9 off its seat l so that the compressed air admitted to the valve device will liow past the valve 9 and thence through the ports 16,

outlet A and pipe 6 (Fig. 3) connected with the usual air supply pipe to the brake cylinder 7, into the said cylinder.y `When the air pressure in the brake cylinder becomes suflicient the piston 21, the pressure area of which is subjected to the pressure obtaining in the brake cylinder, will, owing'to the leverage `obtaining between the pistons and 2l, by means vor the lever 26 and the adjustable or moveable bearing 29, be moved upwards (away from the stein l2 of the valve 9) against the pressure of air acting on the piston 20'with t-he result that the valve 9 will close and thus shut off further admission or air to the brake cylinder.

The pressure required to-move the piston 2i against the resistance onlered by the piston 2Q depends upon the leverage obtaining between the pistons 2O and 21, or, in other words upon the distance the moveable roller or bearing 29 is away from the iiXed fulcrum 2 7 of the lever 26; for instance if air at 6() lbs. pressure isadmitted through the inlet 2 to the casing of the valve device then, assuming the leverage between the piston 2l and piston 20to be, as shewn, l to 3 or approximately so then a pressure oi' approximately 2O lbs. acting on the piston 2l will be suliicient to move this piston against the resistance of the piston 2O and the valve 9 will therefore close when the air pressure in the brake cylinder reaches 2O lbs; it, however, the leverage is 2 to 3 then the valve 9 will closer at, or approximately at, 40 lbs. pressure in the brakecylinder, and so on until the moveable roller or bearing 29 has been ymoved. to its farthest position from the rulcrum 27 so that the leverage becomes l to l, whereupon the full pressure of lbs. will be obtained in the brake cylinder.

As already explained the rat-io of leverage as between the pistons 2O and 2l is determined by the position or' the moveable roller or bearing 29 relative to the lined fulcrum 27 of the lever 26, and the position of the bearing 29 relative to the said fixed fulcrum 1s determined by the weight of the vehicle or of the vehicle and its load upon .the bearing springs.

The working of the valve device shewn in Fig. 2,.for vacuum brake apparatus, is the same as above described with reference tothe valve shewn .in Fig.v l, it being however understood that in the case of the valve shewn in Fig. 2 vacuum or partial vacuum is at all times maintained in the space or chamber of the casing l above the diaphragme 42 and 43 by meansl of the nonreturn valvey 46, so that `when air at atmospheric pressure is admitted through the inlet 2 of the valve casing it will actuate the diaphragm 42 so as toV transmit movement through the diaphragm 48 to the valve 9 for opening the same; also it will beunderllO stood that when the pressure in the bralzev 2O and 2l (or diaphragms 42, 43) have been actuated as hereinbetore described for opening the valve.

Further the construction and arrangements may be such that the valve 9 when fully open would be about a quarter of an inch ofi its seat l0, and that the stroke of the pistons (or diaphragms) would be about three eights oit an inch, a suitable amount of clearance being lett between the piston 2l (Fig. l) or diaphragm rod 45 (Fig. 2)r and the stem .l2 of the valve when the valve is in the closed position.

Instead of the non-return valve 46 (Fig. 2) being fitted to the diaphragm 43 as hereinbe't'ore mentioned, this valve may be iitted to the portion of the main valve casing between the diaphragme 42 and 43 as indicated by the dotted line position ot the valve `marked 46; in this case the casing of the non-return valve would be incommunication, through a port in the main casing7 with the chamber below the diaphragm 48 which chamber would in this case be enlarged as indica-ted by dotted lines.

Finally I wish it to be understood that Figs. l and i2 of the drawings are more or less, indeed mainly, diagrammatic views intended to illustrate the general principle and action oit the valvedevioe according to this invention which contemplates any suit able alterations in or departures 'from the construction and arrangement ot the parts as shewn in these figures.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In railway brake apparatus, a braking regulator comprising a casing having two piston chambers, a valve controlling the passage or' air through the casing, pistons slidable in the piston chambers,v one piston being adapted to open the said valve and the other piston being provided with a crosshead having a runway,y a lever mounted on a stationary ulorum' pivot and operatively connected withr the piston that opens the valve, and having one end portion arranged in the said runway, and a movable bearing member arranged between the said end por-tion of the lever and the runway and having its distance from the said pivot controlled by the load depression ot the car-body, and .operating to vary the elfective brake action in proportion to the load.

2. A braking regulator as set forth in claim l, and having a spring which holds the end portion of the lever in engagement with the Vsaid movable bearing member.

3. A braking regulator as set forth in claim l, the said movable bearing member being formed of a revoluble roller the periphery of which is engaged pivotally by the lever and the runway. n

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

ALBERT BULBICK. 

